Lisa Lee Dark

Infobox musical artist 2
Name = Lisa Lee Dark


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Background = Solo_singer
Birth_name = Lisa Lee Dark
Alias =
Born = Birth date and age|1981|4|16
Origin = Swansea, Wales, United Kingdom
Genre = Opera, classical crossover, Christian, new age, dance, adult contemporary
Occupation = Opera singer, song writer, musician
Instrument = Vocals
Years_active = 1992– present
Label = Angel Guardian Records
(2008 – present)
URL = http:/www.myspace.com/darklisalee

Lisa Lee Dark (born 16 April, 1981 in Swansea, Wales),is a Welsh singer and voice actress.

Early life

Dark was born in Clydach, one of the Swansea valleys [(Wales on Sunday newspaper, July 11, 1999)] . She is related to Adelina Patti (1843-1919) and Bette Davis (1908-1989) [cite web | url =http://www.uktradeinvestusa.com/newproducts/newproducts_detail.asp?a=44921&i=...|title= Sopranos triumph over adversity recorded in new solo album|accessdate=2008-08-06] [(Bella magazine, August 21, 2001)] Dark was born with a rare inter-sex medical condition called Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) [(Real magazine, September 9, 2003)] . This meant that throughout Dark’s childhood she was raised as a boy because doctors failed to realise that she was biologically female [cite web | url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hometruths/lisaleedark.shtml |title = BBC Radio 4 - Changing Sex |accessdate=2008-08-06] [cite web | url = http://archive.thisisherefordshire.co.uk/2000/5/26/66515.html | title = Website will help air rare conditions|accessdate=2008-08-06] .

The condition called congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), leads to an excessive outpouring of the male hormone testosterone during the early part of foetal life [(The Times newspaper, November 20, 2004)] [cite web | url = http://www.timesonline/tol/life_and_style/article1069492.ece |title = Highs and lows |accessdate=2008-08-06] While the genes are thoroughly xx female, an inherited faulty gene blocks production of an essential enzyme [(Now magazine, June14, 2000)] . The deficiency leads to upsets in the body’s hormonal balance and causes the adrenal glands to produce low levels of cortisol, the stress hormone [(The Universe newspaper, May 28, 2000)] . In response, the pituitary (the body’s conductor gland) pushes the adrenals into top gear to make more cortisol, because of the enzyme deficiency, they secrete more and more testosterone and in the most severe cases, like Lisa Lee’s, the hormone leads to fusion of the female genitalia and in some an enlarged clitoris, making it quite easy to mistake newborn girls for boys, though ovaries and womb remain intact, making it possible for Lisa Lee to have children of her own [(The Daily Telegraph newspaper, April 25, 2000)] .

Dark only discovered that she was biologically female at the age of 19 [(The Western Mail newspaper, September 13, 2004))] [Cite web | url = http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/tm_objectid=14635278&method=full&siteid=50082& | accessdate= 2008-08-06] . Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is a disorder that affects one in 15,000 births world wide, with varying degrees of masculinisation [(More magazine, May12, 2004)] .

Dark was very badly bullied during her school years [(The Mirror newspaper, May 8, 2000)] . She went to a tough all boys comprehensive school where she would regularly get kicked, punched, spat at and have obscene things screamed at her, even outside school she would get the same treatment, all because she was slightly different and didn’t behave like all the other boys [(Golwg Welsh language magazine, September, 2004)] .

Dark’s home life wasn’t much better, her parents had drink and money problems, they told Lisa Lee that she was the least important thing to them and that they wished that she was dead, there was also a lot of violence in the home [(Life magazine, April, 2008)] , so Dark would walk the streets to get away from the troubles, but this made her easy prey for a paedophile ring; the sexual abuse that Dark experienced made her realise that she wasn’t a normal male [(The Universe newspaper, November 26, 2000)] , but growing up all she wanted was to die. Dark believes that this is what pushed her into the entertainment industry [(The Mind magazine, July,2007)] .

Acting career

Dark first starred in a European advert due to a case of mistaken identity [(South Wales Guardian newspaper, March 8, 2001)] . Her other acting roles have been voice over work on low budget European horror movies, and minor voice over work on five Hollywood movies [(The Catholic Herald newspaper, October 29, 2004)] . Due to fears of prejudice Dark’s agents thought that it would be best to use fictitious names instead of using Dark’s real name on the film credits [(Carmarthen Journal newspaper, January 22, 2003)] .

Music career

The beginning

Aged six, Dark was approached in her local park by a record producer, who offered to take her into the recording studio to record her voice [(Messenger of Saint Anthony, October, 2005)] [cite web | title = God and I | url = http://www.messengersaintanthony.com/messaggero/arretrati/ottobre.asp?anno=2005|accessdate= 2008-08-06] . Dark refused for three years because she was too shy, but by the age of nine she finally agreed to begin recording for him [(Cornish Guardian newspaper, September 23, 2004)] .Originally recording classical pieces of music for TV film and compilation albums, in 1992 by accident Dark began to record dance music [(News of the world Sunday magazine, December 12, 2004)] . This brought Dark lots of success as she has sung on dance records that have gone on to sell over ten million copies world wide [(South Wales Evening post, October 4, 2004)] . Dark has also sung lead vocals for the new age, Christian classical crossover group"New Era".

olo music career

In 1998 Dark signed her first solo recording contract, releasing the album ‘The unknown story of Lisa Lee Dark’ [(Carmarthen Journal newspaper, January 24, 2001)] . There were three more dance albums released, achieving moderate success with sales of 160,000 records for the dance record label VIP international records [(Church of England newspaper, November 19, 2004)]

In 2004, Dark released her fifth studio album titled "Breath of life". This would mark Dark’s first attempt into the classical crossover music market as a solo artist, but due to problems out of Dark’s control this album turned out to be a huge flop.

The come back

In 2008, Dark returned to the music industry with the release of her debut opera album, "Sola, perduta, abbandonata" [(The Opera magazine,October,2007)] . This album contains Dark’s debut opera performance in Puccini’s opera Turandot, playing the part of Liu. A limited edition second album "The screen behind the mirror" was also released, containing Dark’s debut opera recordings and her audition for the opera company that she is signed to [(Euro news magazine, January,2008)]

References

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hometruths/lisaleedark.shtml BBC Radio 4 - Hometruths interview]
* [http://www.myspace.com/lisaleedark Myspace.com]
* [http://www.bebo.com/lisaleedark Bebo.com]
* [http://www.myspace.com/darklisalee Myspace.com]

Persondata
NAME = Dark, Lisa Lee
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = Opera singer, Actress | row 2, cell 1 | row 2, cell 2
DATE OF BIRTH = April 16, 1981
PLACE OF BIRTH = Swansea, Wales, UK
DATE OF DEATH =
PLACE OF DEATH =